Jamie Samuelsen, co-host of the "Jamie and Wojo" show at 6 p.m. weekdays on WXYT-FM (97.1), blogs for freep.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Detroit Free Press nor its writers. You can reach him at jamsam22@gmail.com, follow him on Twitter @jamiesamuelsen and read more of his opinions at freep.com/jamie.

OK, so 9-3 but losses to their main rivals. So, would you consider this a successful season for Michigan football?

I used to think that only one thing stood between Jim Harbaugh and total success at Michigan -- the threat of an NFL job.

It's rather clear now that there are three things standing between Harbaugh and total success -- Urban Meyer, Mark Dantonio, and the threat of an NFL job.

As long as Harbaugh is coaching, the spectre of him bolting back to the NFL will be out there. He was asked about it following Michigan's 48-41 overtime win in Indiana two weeks ago. There are some national pundits who claim that Harbaugh returning to the NFL is a fait d'accompli. And after watching the 49ers go up in flames upon his departure, it's clearer than ever just how much influence he wields when turning a loser into a winner.

The rapid march to the top was thwarted by Michigan State, which made it to the Big Ten championship game for the third time in three years. Ohio State's win on Saturday was so dominant that it brought back memories of what Meyer and Jim Tressel have done in previous years to Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke. The season began with a close call, ended with a thud and was punctuated halfway through by a muffed punt that bounced perfectly into the arms of Jalen Watts-Jackson for the MSU game-winning, season-altering touchdown.

In between those "loud" events were the things that Michigan fans have been waiting to see for years. There was marked improvement in almost every area, particularly the offense and the running game. There was a return to Michigan football in terms of tough, physical play and the ability to finish games when they were ahead or come from behind when the situation demanded it. Watching Indiana and Minnesota fritter away fourth quarter opportunities when they were ahead was a stark reminder of what Michigan was last year.

I have no idea how Harbaugh would characterize this season. It's difficult to know exactly how he thinks sometimes (or most of the time.) I'm sure some will claim that a Big Ten championship is the goal and anything short of that constitutes a failure. Losing to your rivals is a blow.

But I don't know how you can look at the 2015 Wolverines and think one thing, and one thing only. Michigan is very good and they're poised to only get better and better.

First and foremost is Harbaugh. How he recruits will be the key to this whole operation. But in terms of practice, player improvement and in-game coaching, there is nobody better. All you have to do is look at two quarterbacks to fully understand his influence -- Jake Rudock and Colin Kaepernick. Rudock quarterbacked a 7-6 Iowa team in 2014 and was essentially dumped from the program as Kirk Ferentz decided that he was going to go with C.J. Beatherd. Ferentz's move paid off. Iowa is unbeaten and will play MSU Saturday night for an assumed spot in the College Football Playoff. Iowa is better partly because they let Rudock go. Not much of an endorsement for a kid, is it?

Harbaugh took him, molded him, coached him and transformed him from a game-manager to a top flight Big Ten quarterback. Rudock was a quarterback without a home last spring. Now after four consecutive 250-yard passing games down the stretch, I'd be surprised if he isn't in an NFL camp next summer.

Kaepernick will be in another NFL camp next summer as well, but it sure won't be the 49ers. Three years ago, he was called the best quarterback in football by some as he torched the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan on the way to the Super Bowl. Now, he lacks such confidence that he lost his starting job in San Francisco to Blaine Gabbert. The same Blaine Gabbert who has a career QBR well below 60 -- among the lowest ever recorded.

With Harbaugh, an MVP candidate. Without Harbaugh, on the bench behind Gabbert. Any questions?

Harbaugh's influence goes beyond simply the strong play of the quarterback position at the various stops in his coaching career. The running game improved after being absent for about four years. De'Veon Smith went from being a plodding short-yardage back to being a shifty playmaker that was a threat running and receiving. Jehu Chesson and Amara Darboh became key parts of a suddenly diversified passing game. They combined for 50 catches in 2014 and 101 this season.

The defense was solid under Hoke but clearly turned the corner in 2015 -- pitching three shutouts in a row. There were some troubling signs along the way. They gave up chunk plays to both MSU and Indiana. They were mauled by Ohio State, which spoke as much about their defense as it did about the Buckeyes tremendous game plan and execution.

The Big Ten has won two national titles since 1997, both by Ohio State. Three or four years ago, the thought of four conference teams in the top 10 leading into the final weekend of the season would have been unthinkable. Now it's reality. Meyer and Dantonio have their programs on top of the college football world. Ferentz is enjoying a late-in-his-career renaissance. Harbaugh will be there soon. It's crowded on top of the Big Ten. And perhaps it's impossible to think it can stay this crowded.

But it's impossible to say that Michigan won't be a huge figure in the coming seasons. And it's impossible to call 2015 anything else than what it was -- a success.